Turf Talk Newsletter – 08 November, 2023

Jehan Malherbe had told Cape Racing he was to retire from his commentating role after 44 years of service, although he was asked to stay on to cover for Rouvaun Smit when the latter was incapacitated after a bad fall.

Cape Racing have in the last week annnounced permanent positions for leading commentator Alistair Cohen and also for the ever-improving Brandon Bailey.

So, Jehan will now likely be free to relax over weekends.

From a commentating point of view he will always be associated with one of the greatest racehorse performances in South African history.

His words that accompanied that performance have also become iconic.

“Savannah Queen and Farolmond are trying but they are chasing shadows! It’s Horse Chestnut! This is true greatness, he’s killing them in the J&B Met!!”

Horse Chestnut had not only become the first three-year-old to win the Met for 54 years but smashed them by eight lengths.

Jehan recalled, “I have never rehearsed ahead of any race, those words just slipped out in the heat of the moment. I probably got carried away, I was very excited!”

Commentating was actually Jehan’s second job. He is a bloodstock agent and has close associations in that role with the connections of Horse Chestnut, trainer Mike de Kock and the Oppenheimer family.

His aptitude for commentating had become apparent before he took it up professionally.

“I used to commentate for an audience of friends after a few beers!”

He made his official debut when Cape Town commentator Sandy Bickett was ill and his assistant at the time, Graeme Hawkins, was in the army.

“I volunteered and did my first call in August 1979. I made a quick tape at home and gave it to them and they said yes good to go.”

His first commentary went well.

Hawkins returned from the army shortly thereafter but Jehan was given a couple of races per meeting to help him ease in to it.

However, Bickett then retired and Hawkins left for Johannesburg leaving Jehan “holding the baby”.

He was promoted to senior comentator.

He said, “I enjoyed it … it was great doing the good races and the good horses, great memories and a lot of fun.”

However, he admitted, “I don’t enjoy doing bad races and bad horses, like Durbanville (in the old days) in the rain on a Wednesday afternoon and maiden plates with first-timers etc. It is probably harder doing those than the big races because in the big races you know all the horses.”

He clarified, “But it has been a great ride.”

Jehan was asked about the best he called.

He replied, “Obviously Horse Chestnut is up there with the best, Jet Master winning the Guineas, Empress Club winning the Met, Wolf Power winning the Queen’s Plate … I was lucky enough to call some of the greats. I was around for a long time so I’ve seen and called a lot of good horses in my time. I wouldn’t like to rank which is the best of them or the worst.”

Although it brought him a lot of memories, fun and satisfaction, he said it was ultimately a thankless job.

He said, “When you get it wrong everyone phones you and screams at you, when you get it right you never hear a word!”

Jehan will continue working for his Form Bloodstock company.

However, he added, “It will be quite nice now that I’ve eased down a bit to spend the odd weekend relaxing. For 40 odd years I’ve worked every weekend and every public holiday of my life. As a second job it was quite taxing.”

He said there was definitely a beneficial overlap in the commentating and bloodstock agent roles.

“The commentating certainly made me better known, so if I cold called somebody to talk about horses they knew who I was. Dealing with second hand horses and studying form, there was also an overlap there. The two jobs complemented each other, no doubt.”

He said another way in which the two jobs complemented each other was in the judging of horses going down to the start and being able to identify a good action and a bad action at a sales breeze up.

Jehan has stayed in cape Town despite numerous offers.

He revealed, “When Eric Denman retired I was offered the Durban job, when Peter Duffield retired I was offered the Jo’Burg job. So at one point in time I was a sought after commentator. I was also offered the Maryland Jockey Club job, Laurel Park and Pimlico, back in 1989 which at the time was probably one of the biggest commentating jobs in the world. They flew me over and I did a guest stint after which they tried to get me to stay full time. I have had a good innings. No regrets.”

Jehan was flown up to Jo’Burg a few times after Peter Duffield’s retirment, because Clyde Basel was just a youngster then and had only just started, so they wanted an experienced hand for some of the big races.

He also used to go and do the big races in Port Elizabeth when SABC covered them.

He has called at a few race tracks in America in his time.

Jehan has even had to call in Afrikaans on occasion.

He said, “They decided they waanted one or two races per meeting in Afrikaans. It was a nightmare to be honest, it is hard enough trying to do it in your own language, and trying to translate while you’re going along … I wasn’t comfortable!”

He said about his favourite commentating courses, “The nicest course to commentate at was undoubtedly Milnerton. You just had a great overview and a good position from the commentary box. The hardest in the old days was Durbanville when it had speaker feedback, it doesn’t have it any more. They had loudspeakers accross the way which blared back at you after a two second delay which made concentrating a little difficult. Plus in Durbanville in the old days when it rained you got sopping wet. It had no glass in front of it. It was very much out in the open. Durbanville in winter was a nightmare.”

Well, there are plenty now in with chances after Jehan’s stepping down, but he is sure to still be a regular face at racing events around the country.

Princess Calla (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

There’s also a strong line-up for the Gr 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship and for the Cape Mile on the country course.

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

The presence of the 2023 Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla and her popular stablemate Mrs Geriatrix is more than enough compensation for the extended delay of Cape Town racing returning to HQ at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

As the Cape Town feature season moves up through the gears, the storied Western Cape Fillies Championship (Grade 2) will be run at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday, along with the Cape Mile (Grade 3) and the Laisserfaire Stakes (Listed).

It makes for one of the most prestigious meetings staged at the country course in some time.

The transformed Hollywoodbets Kenilworth is due to return to action on 26 November with the Punters’ Cup – ahead of the main events at the height of summer.

Highveld master trainer Sean Tarry has taken a very powerful string down to the southern tip for the action – and none more potent than the two females on Saturday’s card.

Princess Calla returns to competition after a well-deserved three-month holiday, tackling a non-feature, the Turf Talk Syndicate Cape A Stakes over 1250m, and will be a warm order despite the hiatus.

In her glory season, she won six of eight starts over distances from 1000m to 1800m, in varying conditions, venues and states of readiness. It will take a brave soul to bet against her.

Mrs Geriatrix will be all the rage in the Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m.

She also carved a legend for herself last season, remaining unbeaten in five starts as a juvenile. The diminutive filly, owned by a boisterous syndicate of prominent racing women who are good value in the winner’s circle, made her return to the track as a three-year-old in last month’s Sales Cup at Turffontein – retaining her unblemished record with a narrow victory at odds of 1-4.

Mrs Geriatrix is as feisty as they come, but she will be tested by local up-and-coming sophomore fillies Winter Cloud and Double Grand Slam.

As charismatic as Tarry’s girls are, perhaps the most intriguing contest is the Cape Mile, where top-class performers like Trip Of Fortune, Pacaya, Waterberry Lane and Double Superlative continue their preps for the big stuff to come.

Millahue has been selected to win the 5th race (JC Photos)

by David Mollett (Business Day)

In the month in which jockey Richard Fourie celebrates his 38th birthday, one present he has received this week is support from Gauteng trainers in his bid to win the championship for the first time. Six trainers have provided him with mounts at Thursday’s meeting at Turffontein.

While Fourie would be delighted to win the title, there is also the added lure of a R1m bonus for the top jockey.

Formerly attached to the Justin Snaith stable but now riding as a freelancer, Fourie knows he must stay out of trouble with the stipendiary stewards countrywide regarding whip abuse.

In August last year, he received a 10-day ban and R35,000 fine for excessive use of the whip on Jet Dark in the Champions Cup.

Last weekend, the Gauteng stipes dished out a 14-day ban and R24,000 fine to jockey Jason Gates for offences in two races at Turffontein.

Authorities worldwide are stamping down on whip abuse. Ryan Moore was fined for his riding of Auguste Rodin in last weekend’s Breeders Cup at Santa Anita, US.

Weather permitting, Fourie will start the Turffontein meeting riding Trip To States for trainer Chris Jonker. The four-year-old rates an each-way chance, but is likely to find Mary’s Greenlight and The Octagon tough rivals.

A R450,000 daughter of Gimmethegreenlight bred at Ascot Stud, Mary’s Greenlight was rolled over in a Work Riders event last month, but was bumped in that race and could go one better this time.

Alec Laird will be pleased with the debut effort of his R375,000 buy, The Octagon, with the colt likely to go well from his pole position draw.

Muzi Yeni, Fourie’s main rival in the jockeys championship, will probably be miffed he has lost the ride on Alesia’s Love to Fourie in the second race. He has been in the saddle in each of the filly’s five starts.

Alesia’s Love is certain to start favourite and may have most to fear from Brett Crawford’s runner, Lady Crusade, who has been placed in both her two outings.

Sean Tarry likes to use Fourie when he can and his three runners, Willow’s Wish, October Fair and Midnight Crystal, are in with a shout in their respective races. The first-named will have benefited from his seasonal bow behind Silent War.

October Fair is hard to fancy after finishing last of five behind Champagne Cocktail last month, but it is interesting that the Silvano filly drops to the shorter trip of 1,450m.

It will be a surprise if Midnight Crystal beats Gimme A Nother in the ninth race as Mike de Kock’s well-bred filly rates a banker bet in the Pick Six after her impressive debut win. Her chance will be enhanced if Alesia’s Love wins earlier in the afternoon as that is the horse she beat on her first appearance.

Gavin Lerena is riding at the top of his game and two of his jackpot mounts, Millahue and Cliff Hanger, both rate strong runners from Johan Janse van Vuuren’s stable.

Millahue, a four-time winner, is the model of consistency and should run well as he is 3kg better off with Fabian Habib’s runner, Twin Turbo.

Cliff Hanger has won three of his five starts and could have most to fear from Fourie’s mount, Ziyasha, in the sixth race over 1,000m.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (13) Mary’s Greenlight (12) The Octagon (1) Trip To States (3) Horsefly
2nd Race: (5) Alesia’s Love (4) Lady Crusade (14) More Than All (6) Boom Boom
3rd Race: (7) Azaleas For All (1) Exhale (2) Harold The Duke (3) All Rise
4th Race: (7) Explosive Bond (4) Burmese Tiara (1) Namaqua Blossom (2) Ideal Future
5th Race: (7) Millahue (2) Willow’s Wish (6) Home Of The Brave (9) Total Surrender
6th Race: (2) Cliff Hanger (9) Ziyasha (1) Rulership (7) Mythical Dream
7th Race: (2) Cape Lights (6) Key Element (5) Kwazzi’s Lady (10) Runway Bomb
8th Race: (7) Player (10) Little Prince (8) Mondial (4) Willow’s Express
9th Race: (5) Gimme A Nother (7) Three Strands (6) Rose Tinted (1) Perilla

Last year’s winning owner Laurence Wernars holds the Summer Cup (JC Photos)

4Racing

4Racing and Betway set the scene for the return of the highly anticipated 2023 Betway Summer Cup, when it hosted a media launch with some of the event’s key partners on Tuesday, 7 November.

The media launch, which was held at the iconic Turffontein Racecourse, provided an exciting preview of what to expect at the R5 million Betway Summer Cup, taking place on Saturday 25 November 2023 at Turffontein.

With the theme of ‘The Summer Reign Season’’ the event included an informative panel discussion featuring 4Racing CEO; Fundi Sithebe, Betway South Africa’s Jonathan Blumberg, 4Racing Head of Racing Operations; Gabriel Soma and event partners including South African Airways Business Development and Marketing Manager; Faith Sikakane, fashion designers, Excelsior Lusso Director; Malakai Maphalala, Joburg Tourism’s Laura Vercueil and top jockeys Kabelo Matsunyane, Muzi Yeni and S’manga Khumalo

Hosted by 4Racing’s Gareth Flusk, the event highlighted what punters and horse racing enthusiasts can expect at this year’s 2023 Betway Summer Cup.

Celebrated deejay, DJ Zinhle and popular hitmaker Lady Du were announced as the performers for the Half Time Show and official After Party of the Betway Summer Cup, with Joburg’s top socialites set to walk the event’s red carpet on the day.

Celebrities and influencers such as Big Brother Titans 2022 winner; Khosi Twala, fashion influencer; Phumza Tiya and musician Ricky Tyler, were among those who attended today’s event.

“We are delighted to have been able to bring together our partners, media partners, and guests, as we build up to the final stretch of what is set to be an exciting Betway Summer Cup. This year will be truly sensational as Betway joins us as sponsors for the second year running of the richest race on the Highveld. Racegoers should expect lots of rivalry from the top jockeys and best thoroughbred horses in the country, and plenty of glitz and glamour on course. And I absolutely cannot wait to see how people will interpret the ‘Summer Reign’ theme through their outfits for the day,” said Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing CEO.

“We are thrilled to partner with 4Racing for another year. This year the partnership has already yielded even greater results, with grooms being the ultimate winners, as all participating grooms in the final field of the Betway Summer Cup will walk away with R20 000 each. We look forward to putting horseracing at the forefront and having it compete with other major sports in the country. We also look forward to the Betway Marquee on the big day, with some of the Betway ambassadors and influencers present,” said Betway’s Jonathan Blumberg.

“We are eager to partner with 4Racing and Betway for the 2023 Betway Summer Cup and to celebrate this partnership we are offering a 10- 15% discount to encourage passengers from Durban, Cape Town and across the country to come to Johannesburg in numbers for the Betway Summer Cup,” said Faith Sikakane, Business Development and Marketing Manager at SAA.

“Partnering with 4Racing and Betway on the 2023 Betway Summer Cup gives us an opportunity to showcase our new collection dedicated to African queens – Lekgawa la di Kgosigadi. This collection will form part of the 12 looks that will be seen at the Summer Cup on 25 November 2023, which we absolutely cannot wait for,” said Malakai Maphalala, from one of Joburg’s top fashion houses, Excelsior Lusso.

The official barrier draw for the final field of the 2023 Betway Summer Cup will take place on Wednesday 15 November 2023 at Marabi Club in downtown Johannesburg.

Luke Ferraris rode a fine race on Happy Trio at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (HKJC)

Luke Ferraris grabbed the opportunity of having a relatively fancied horse with both hands at Happy Valley today.

His Douglas Whye-trained mount Happy Trio might have started at healthy odds of 8.20 for a single unit, but  he was the fancy of a number of the local tipsters and came out on top of the South China Morning Post’s tipping table.

However, a win was going to require a good ride from a tough draw of nine.

He drove his mount all the way to the first turn in the Class 4 1200m event.

The pace ws on and this enable Luke to slot into sixth place behind a vanguard of horses.

He moved up around the turn and came wide into the straight to get around the vanguard.

The horse found plenty to win by a neck.

Luke goes to eight wins for the season, just one behind Lyle Hewitson.

He is in joint seventh place on the log.

Double Grand Slam cruises to an easy win first time out the maidens off a 91 merit rating. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Mrs Geriatrix faces a strong field in the Gr 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday and has to give all of them 2kg too.

This will be her toughest test to date.

Winter Cloud got with 2,30 length of her in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship and is now 2kg better off so there should not be much in it on paper.  Winter Cloud, who is by What A Winter out of a Monteu maiden, is a full sister to the twice Gr 1 Majorca Stakes winner Clouds Unfold, so should relish the step up in trip. However, Winter Cloud does have a wide draw to overcome and it should also be remembered Mrs Geriatrix not only won the Allan Robertson easing up, but is also proven over this trip, winning the Gr 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper with consummate ease.

She beat Rascova by 3,70 lengths in the latter race. However, Glen Kotzen is particularly pleased with Racova at present as she has learnt to settle in her workouts and he sounds bullish about this Lancaster Bomber’s filly’s season ahead. However, she does have to start off her campaign from a tough draw.

Cala Mureta, the winner of the Gr 2 Debutante, ran a good third against older horses in the Gr 3 Diana Stakes over this course and distance, but she has the widest draw of all i  the ten horse field and the form of the Debutante doesn’t compare favourably with the Allan Robertson through a horse called Captain’s Christy.

Just Be Lekker finished a fast-finishing 4,25 length second in the Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run Stakes over course and distance having finished an excellent close up third in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Sprint Fillies And Mares Challenge over 1450m behind crack filly Feather Boa and she was a touch unlucky in that race too. She has a good draw and this scopey sort could be dangerous.

Double Grand Slam has won her first and second starts easily, the latter being over this course and distance from start to finish. She crossed the line 2,25 lengths in front off a 91 merit rating, meaning she had to carry 60kg against older horses, and she looked to still have a ton in hand at the line. She is a most interesting runner from a plum draw of two.

Luna Halo has swept all before her in Gqerberha from 1200m up to 1600m. She did only manage fourth in  her only start in Cape Town and the formlines are not all that strong, although she did finish ahead of Royals in  that 1200m contest. She will pref3r this trip and the face will tell how good she is.

Royals won a Non-Black Type last time from start to finish over course and distance. She is drawn in pole now but it is a bigger and more classy field so will be tough for her to dictate this time. She is progressing nicely but will need to pick up her game further to be a contender here.

Francien finished a decent 5,40 length fourth behind Sandringham Summit in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m and was beaten 7,60 lengths by Mrs Geriatrix in her seasonal reappearance over 1450m. Adam Azzie commented recently she is crying out for a mile and will be more effective on a galloping track.

Ticket To Vegas is the lowest rated runner and has to make up 5,75 lengths on Just Be Lekker from their meeting in the Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run Stakes.

It will be an intriguing race.

The field is shown below:

Frankel and Dubawi will both command a fee of £350,000 for a cover next season.